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FAFSA Changes

The process for applying for financial aid has been changed, so if you are planning on filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) soon, here is some information you need to know.

On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced a new set of regulations that would change the schedule for applying for student aid through the FAFSA process. These changes will impact millions of students who will submit an application when the 2017-18 cycle begins.

Now, students who are submitting a FAFSA will have the opportunity to do so three months earlier than students in previous years could. Instead of submitting the 2017-18 FAFSA on Jan. 1, they will be able to get the process over with in the fall and submit it as early as Oct 1. There is no change to the schedule for the 2016-17 FAFSA, which became available Jan. 1, 2016.

“The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete and submit their FAFSAs as early as October 1 every year,” states the website maintained by Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education.

Families that have gone through the process in previous years now need to get used to this new schedule. Furthermore, it means that earlier income and tax information must be used when filling out the applicable financial information.

“For example, on the 2017-18 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2015 income and tax information, rather than their 2016 income and tax information,” states the Federal Student Aid website.

This change doesn’t just mean you need to pay extra attention when reporting tax information; it has far-reaching implications for families looking to plan their taxes and educational finances most effectively.

“To secure the best aid offer, you may need to tweak the way you manage income and assets that have an impact on financial aid,” says Kaitlin Pitsker in an article from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “For example, if you plan to realize capital gains on your stocks or bonds, you’ll want to do so before January 1 of your student’s sophomore year of high school to avoid having the money count as income on the FAFSA – a year earlier than on the old timeline.”

Students frequently pay for school using a combination of sources. Money obtained through the FAFSA process is often supplemented by savings accounts from family members, such as 529 educational savings plans. Grandparents who hold 529 savings plans should be aware that the new FAFSA schedule also impacts them.

“Previously, withdrawals from such accounts counted as student income during the first three years of college,” states Pitsker. “Now, distributions made during the last two years aren’t reported on the FAFSA. So if you can, delay cashing in on the grands’ generosity until those final years.”